It's Comin' on Christmas
by Orange-Green
Summary: It was already the second week of December and holiday decorations were in full bloom all over the city. People were cheerfully celebrating and wishing each other well as the festive season called for, despite the miserably cold, rainy weather. If anything, the cheerfulness made Aubrey feel worse.
1. Chapter 1

It's Comin' on Christmas

A/N - Title from Joni Mitchell's _River_ , because it was the most depressing Christmas song I could think of.

Aubrey stared out over the gray New York City landscape from her 27th floor office. Dense, cold, gray surrounded everything. November had rolled over into December but instead of crisp white of show blanketing the ground, there was only a bone chilling rain falling. It was unseasonably warm, simply because it was in fact rain instead of snow but the biting wind added with the rain left most of New York's inhabitants miserably cold. Aubrey couldn't bring herself to care about the weather outside, the bleak scene matched her mood.

It was already the second week of December and holiday decorations were in full bloom all over the city. People were cheerfully celebrating and wishing each other well as the festive season called for, despite the miserable weather. If anything, the cheerfulness made Aubrey feel worse.

"Aubrey," her legal assistant chimed through the office intercom, "James is on line two for you."

"Thank you Megan." The blonde woman replied flatly. She sighed as she reached to pick up the receiver to speak with her husband. Her soon to be ex-husband.

"This is Aubrey Posen Phillips." The answered formally, out of habit.

"Aubrey." Came the smooth voice on the other end of the line.

Aubrey swallowed another sigh. "James."

"I trust you've read through the documents and found them acceptable. It's a fair split and you'll be more than comfortable. A quick settlement really is for the best in this situation."

The blonde clenched her jaw. "Yes, it's fine."

"Excellent." James replied, sounding almost relieved. "Then I'll expect the signed divorce papers returned to my office within three business days."

"Fine."

They disconnected without another word. Part of Aubrey thought perhaps she had made it too easy on her cheating husband. In fact, when she had finally confronted the man with his adultery, he was instantly unsettled by how calmly she was handling the situation. He assumed her calm meant that he was in for a nasty divorce so his initial offer for splitting their assets had been much higher than she had expected. By the end of the week he would be free to remarry if he so chose. But it didn't matter, really. Not for what Aubrey had planned.

The money from the split would be in her bank account in plenty of time. Plenty of time to complete the paperwork and draft a new will. While she didn't care about the money herself, she sure as hell wasn't going to let him keep it to pay for his new girlfriend's expensive tastes. A charity would be a better choice.

Aubrey pulled out her calendar and stared at it for a few moments. Her days were filled with meetings and court appearances. Her evenings held the occasional committee meeting but for the most part were unaccounted for. No drinks with friends, no anniversary dinners, a testament to just how alone she truly was. She picked up a red pen and drew a large 'X' through that day's page. Only a handful of days left.

Aubrey closed the calendar and shoved it into the expensive leather briefcase at her feet. She shrugged on her overcoat and strode out of the office. "I'm leaving for the day. Make sure the Anderson contract is ready for me first thing Monday morning and then feel free to head out yourself."

"Thanks Aubrey!" Megan exclaimed with a smile. "You have a good weekend!"

The blonde nodded curtly, barely slowing on her way to the elevator. She sat in the back of her hired car in silence as the driver navigated the busy city streets to deliver the woman to the luxury apartment she had once shared with her husband. As soon as she had walked out of the building that housed the prestigious law firm, Aubrey couldn't help but be relieved that she didn't have to stand in the cold to flag down a taxi. There were perks to being a partner in the law firm of Posen, Banks, & McGee.

Aubrey slowly walked into her spacious apartment. The silence that met her was deafening. James had long since moved out.

She kicked her heels off and quickly stripped down and slipped into a t-shirt and comfortable sweats. Aubrey grinned sadly at the faded Barden emblem on the thigh of the sweatpants she had chosen. She traced her fingers over the aged lettering, her mind drifting back to the happiest days of her life, arguably the _only_ happy days of her life.

Her thoughts immediately drifted to a redhead with mesmerizing blue eyes. Chloe. Thinking of her former friend and lover always sent a stab of pain from her heart to her very core. She couldn't remember the last time they had spoken. It was before the wedding. Aubrey hadn't even invited her, and that was five years ago. She couldn't help but wonder what her former best friend was up to now.

They had sworn they would always remain friends. Even after they were more than friends. They swore nothing could tear them apart. But they were naïve and time and distance had a way of severing bonds that were thought unbreakable. When Aubrey followed her father's desire and had gone to law school, Chloe had clearly been disappointed. The redhead had hoped Aubrey would buck her family pressure and pursue her own dreams. So when Aubrey had moved to Virginia to attend law school, Chloe felt abandoned and disappointed.

They tried to maintain a long distance relationship but the strain of law school classes and the jealousy that flared in Aubrey when Chloe and Beca grew even closer had proven to be too much. An argument had erupted one evening over skype and both had proven too stubborn to apologize.

A few years after law school, Aubrey had moved to New York City when her father wanted to branch his law firm and open another office there. She liked to think she had finally made her father proud after so many years. He didn't have to ask her to help start the new firm. She liked to think it meant he finally had some faith in her abilities and knew he could trust her to do a good job. He never said so but she could hope.

Aubrey met James shortly after moving to the city. He was the son of her father's financial planner and seemed poised to take over his father's business. Before she realized it, the two were engaged. Then married.

Aubrey sighed and padded into the kitchen to pour herself a glass of wine. She glanced toward her refrigerator where there was yet another calendar with days marked off. She stepped closer to eye the tasks she had given herself for the following day. Tomorrow was Saturday. Most of her to-do list would have to be completed during business hours so the day was actually empty of tasks.

The blonde narrowed her eyes at the day that was circled in red. December 24, Christmas Eve. Aubrey swallowed thickly. This was her least favorite time of year. Most people were filled with the holiday spirit and the joy of the season. But Aubrey couldn't stand the thought of spending yet another Christmas alone. She hadn't gone home to see her family in years and that was before the added strain of what her father thought was an embarrassing divorce. Aubrey knew without a doubt that she wasn't welcome there now. She and James hadn't even spent Christmas together for the last three years. And so, that was why she had decided that December the 24th, Christmas Eve, would be her last day on earth.

xxxx

"Great job!" The redheaded woman exclaimed to the group of excited kids. "I'm so proud of you guys! You're going to sound awesome at the Christmas concert! Great job guys."

The kids began to scatter at the sound of the bell. Many rushed the redhead and engulfed her in hugs as they ran for their backpacks and to greet their waiting parents or nannies.

Chloe Beale hugged each one and waved to the others and their parents as they departed for the weekend. She was still smiling as the room cleared and she began to clean up the mess inadvertently left behind by a group of grade school aged kids.

"Hey Chloe, you still ok to take Emma and Charlie tomorrow?"

Chloe glanced up and smiled at Ashley where she was peeking her head in through the doorway. "Yeah sure!" she replied. "It'll be great, I'm happy to take them to the festival tomorrow night. If any more kids' parents bailed they can tag along too but I may need reinforcements."

Ashley chuckled and shook her head. "I'm taking Celia and Brody; that should be it. I really appreciate it Chloe!"

"Of course!"

The brunette waved and wished her friend a good evening. Chloe glanced around at her classroom. If you had told her a year ago that she would be living in New York City and working at a boarding school with one of her former Bellas, she would have laughed. She was a southern sunshine girl. She loved the beach and warm weather. But she also loved kids and music.

Chloe Beale had taken her grand time deciding what she wanted to do with her life. She had tried a number of different avenues. She had even delayed graduating from college because she had no idea what to do with herself. When she had finally gotten the nerve to leave Barden, the redhead had tried a number of different career paths.

She had even tried selling insurance until she realized her true calling. She had plenty of male customers willing to pay just about anything to get the chance to see her smile at them. But when she honestly undersold the plans not wanting to cheat them out of their hard earned money, she had promptly been let go from the company.

Chloe had even let Fat Amy serve as a manager of sorts in order to give a music career a try. For publicity, the blonde had arranged for her to make an appearance at a jello wrestling competition but when the crowd began to shout for her to 'take it off', Chloe quickly reconsidered her management options.

She had then wandered to California to crash with Beca who was enjoying a budding career in producing music. The brunette had remained one of her closest friends and had been a solid shoulder to cry on when she and Aubrey had split up.

Beca may have had her reservations about Aubrey but she knew how much Chloe loved her. And she had been under the impression that the blonde felt the same about Chloe. But they had drifted apart and Beca had been there to keep Chloe from falling apart.

And then, Chloe had heard from Ashley who had taken a teaching job in New York City. They were looking for someone to help revamp a choir and music education program at a private boarding school in the city. Chloe had never really thought she would be able to put her music education degree to use so she jumped at the opportunity. Especially when she heard that the school wanted to expand to allow more underprivileged kids a chance to attend with scholarships as well.

The redhead had thrown herself into the position and the kids had responded well. No one could resist Chloe Beale. The kids loved her and the parents and guardians couldn't help but be drawn to her as well. The semester was drawing to an end and most of the kids had been picked up for the holidays but there were a few that were still stranded at the school, their parents too busy to collect them.

Those kids tugged at Chloe's heart the most. The most affluent kids but the most lacking in love and support. They always made her think of Aubrey. And the thought of the blonde always made Chloe's heart clench. She regretted how the relationship had ended. If she had it to do over, she would have been much more supportive but at the time, Aubrey attending law school hours away without so much as discussing it with her had been a stinging blow.

Years had passed and she now had no idea of how Aubrey was faring. She hoped she was happy. Chloe quickly shook the melancholy that threatened to settle and finished packing up her things. The thought of retreating to her small apartment on the cold dreary Friday night and settling on her couch with a glass of wine and a cheesy Christmas movie pushed her on. Tomorrow she would take two of the kids whose parents had yet to show to the winter festival. They were even calling for snow instead of just the cold rain that had been plaguing the city for the last few weeks.

Chloe smiled again as she shouldered her bag and set off on foot toward her apartment. It was Christmas in the city. Lights were strung and trees were decorated. Even the gut wrenching feeling of loss at the thought of the blonde couldn't keep the smile from Chloe's face.


	2. Chapter 2

It's Comin' on Christmas

A/N - Thanks so much for the alerts, favorites and reviews. I really appreciate it!

Chapter 2

Aubrey sat staring out of her window. It was still cold and gray but the rain had finally tapered off. Her Saturday had passed quietly as usual. She had even avoided going into the office or working from home.

Aubrey had further detailed her list of things to check off and complete before Christmas Eve. But now she was growing antsy in her luxurious apartment.

After spending a day planning and preparing, the blonde felt an intense need to escape the suffocating space that had once been her home. When she and James had first moved in, the apartment had been a sanctuary of sorts for Aubrey. James worked late hours and she was free to decorate and create the home she wanted, desperate to finally have the home and sense of belonging she had never had as a child. Her husband's similarity to her father had quickly surfaced however, and the honeymoon phase had faded.

Aubrey zipped her coat and slipped her gloves on before she stepped out into the chilly December air. The air was cold and her breath billowed in a cloud as she began to make her way down the city streets. She wandered aimlessly until she stumbled upon a festival of sorts.

Aubrey glanced around and found she was unfamiliar with her surroundings. She had wandered far from her upscale neighborhood in her attempt to escape the silence and solitude she found herself in. She started to turn and head for home but the sound of Christmas carols being sung and lights decorating the trees pulled her in.

 _Silent night…holy night…_

The blonde wandered around the cheerful area, dodging a number of children running through. There were people selling hot cocoa and an ice skating rink. They were all happy and some even smiled and nodded in her direction but she barely noticed.

 _Holy infant so tender and mild…_

She paid little attention to the sound of the carolers until a familiar airy tone met Aubrey's ears. Her breathing grew shallow as she made her way through the crowd toward where the group of singers were huddled together, pulled as if by some force, unable to stop herself.

 _Sleep in heavenly peace…_

And there she was. The woman she had walked away from years before. Chloe Beale was smiling and harmonizing with the group of carolers. Aubrey's heart clenched at the sight of two children hanging off of her and singing along. One even had reddish hair. She had no idea what Chloe was doing in New York City. But Aubrey knew she needed to get away from there and quickly. Otherwise, she might not even last until Christmas Eve to complete her plan and she still had so much to do.

She turned on her heel to make her escape but a group of teenagers blocked her path.

"Oh my God, Aubrey, is that you?"

And suddenly the blonde couldn't take another step. She slowly turned and their eyes met. Chloe was just as beautiful as she had ever been. Her eyes were just as mesmerizing if not even more so with the passing of time. But a sadness lingered that was haunting. Aubrey swallowed thickly as she tried to calm her nerves.

"Chloe."

The redhead rushed forward then and threw herself at her long lost friend. Aubrey stood stiffly as Chloe engulfed her in a tight embrace. "Aubrey…my God, it's so good to see you! I didn't know…what are you even doing here?"

The blonde pulled herself away, albeit reluctantly, and once again met her old friend's gaze. The sight of the two children moving to flank Chloe once again sent her heart sinking into her gut.

"I live here in the city…just out for a walk."

Chloe smiled, not allowing the blonde's icy response to dissuade her. "It's so good to see you, you look great! H-how are you? How've you been?"

Aubrey plastered on a smile. "Great, just great. And yourself?"

"Oh I'm doing great." Chloe replied, still smiling widely. Damn her and her smile. "Haven't lived here in the city long…how long have you been here?"

"A few years." Aubrey replied quickly. "Well, I've got to get going. It was really great to see you Chloe…you look great. And your children are beautiful. Merry Christmas."

With that, the blonde turned on her heel and quickly strode away leaving Chloe staring after her. If Aubrey her the other woman calling after her, she didn't acknowledge it.

xxxx

Aubrey pinched the bridge of her nose and stifled a groan. Her Monday was going as expected for any Monday, only worse. The Anderson contract had fallen through and a new client was hesitating on signing on. She might not be around to see it but she still wanted the law firm to be successful.

After seeing Chloe on Saturday evening, the blonde had been out of sorts and preoccupied with thoughts of her former friend and lover. Just the brief encounter had Aubrey reliving their time together. The ache she felt in her heart had only served to further solidify her plans but even her determination to wrap up her existence couldn't wipe the feelings and thoughts of Chloe away. It was as if time had stopped and Aubrey was the same insecure woman she had been when the redhead had waltzed into her life and convinced her that she deserved to love and be loved in return.

But that was a long time ago. So much had happened and changed in that time. She had believed Chloe once. But no more, she was too tired.

"Aubrey, there's a Chloe Beale here to see you." The blonde was pulled from her reverie at the sound of her assistant announcing her visitor through the intercom. "She said you were expecting her."

Aubrey's breath caught and she felt a familiar churning in her stomach but she swallowed thickly against it. "Did she now." She muttered, her mind reeling with ways to avoid the other woman. But she knew Chloe and she knew there was relatively no chance of getting out of the visit if the redhead was determined to see her. "Fine…send her in."

Aubrey steeled her nerves and squared her shoulders from her spot seated in her leather chair behind her expensive mahogany desk. A few moments later the door opened and Chloe once again stepped into her life. Aubrey remained seated and allowed her eyes to quickly scan the redhead's form.

Chloe couldn't help but feel her nerves beginning to surface at the sight of the other woman. Gone was the warm blonde she had come to know and love in their years at Barden. What remained was a cold figure, gorgeous but icy and impenetrable as she sat in an expansive office in a suit that probably cost more than the redhead's monthly rent. Chloe found herself intimidated by the sight of Aubrey and she came to an abrupt halt under the blonde's intense gaze.

Aubrey narrowed her eyes and felt a small rush of triumph at the sudden flash of uncertainty on her ex's face. She could only think of a handful of times that she had ever seen Chloe less than her confident, exuberant self. Aubrey had been able to silence almost everyone with her cold stare, everyone but Chloe that is. The sight of the shorter woman faltering slightly under her stare quickly turned Aubrey's feeling of pride into one of sorrow for some odd reason. She sighed and motioned for the redhead to take a seat across from the desk.

Chloe smiled, somewhat nervously and dropped into the chair. "Hey Aubrey…thanks for seeing me."

"Did I have a choice?" The taller woman replied flatly. "We both know you wouldn't have left and I can't have a scene here. What can I do for you, why are you here?"

"Oh come on…you didn't think you were going to get away from me that easily did you?" Chloe asked, finally relaxing a bit and smirking at the stoic woman across from her. "No way was I letting you get away again now that I found you. I should have known really…Posen, Banks, & McGee. Of course you'd be _the_ Posen."

"Posen Phillips." Aubrey quickly corrected, her tone still even.

Surprise registered on Chloe's face and she quickly sought out Aubrey's left hand where it was hidden from sight in the blonde's lap. "Oh…congratulations! I didn't realize you're married. That's great Aubrey!"

Aubrey clenched her jaw. "Congratulations to you as well. Your children are beautiful."

Chloe smiled and shook her head. "They are beautiful kids…but they're not mine. I work at a boarding school and some of the kids' parents haven't been able to come get them yet so I took two of them out to the festival the other night. No kids for me."

"Oh." Aubrey replied softly. "I just assumed…so you're a teacher. That's great, seems fitting for you."

The redhead's smile widened and she nodded. "Took a while to figure out what I should do with myself. But Ashley, you remember Ashley from the Bellas, she called me and said the boarding school she worked at was looking for someone to help with their music program. So, I jumped at the chance and here I am, just about to finish out my first semester. I love it!"

Aubrey finally smiled softly. She couldn't help softening slightly as Chloe grew more excited. There was just something about the bubbly redhead she would never be able to resist. "That's great…you're perfect for it. Your kids are lucky to have you."

Chloe blushed and shrugged. "Well what about you? Do you and your husband have any kids?"

And just like that, Aubrey's features hardened once again. She stiffened in her chair and shook her head. "No. We don't have children. We were both far too busy."

"Ah." The redhead replied, immediately sensing the shift in the other woman's mood. "So what does he do-your husband I mean."

"He's a financial planner." Aubrey responded flatly. "Look Chloe…I don't really want to discuss my personal life. I don't have time to catch up right now, it's the busiest time of year. Maybe we can get together some other time…after the holidays perhaps."

Chloe winced and looked as if she had been slapped at the curt dismissal but quickly regained her composure. "Of course, I get it. I'm sorry I just barged in here like this. But I didn't just come for a social call. I need an attorney."

"Oh god, what have you done?" Aubrey questioned with a wary look.

"Hey! What makes you think I've done something?" The redhead replied, a mischievous glint to her eye.

Aubrey quirked a brow, fighting against the feelings Chloe's smirk was causing to surface. "It's you we're talking about here Chloe. You probably got arrested for chaining yourself to some tree that was about to be cut down or for breaking into a laboratory to set the animals being tested on free. So what is it…why is it that you happen to need an attorney?"

Chloe chuckled. "Ok so…one of those things might have happened in the years we've been apart. But no, that's not why I'm here. I also volunteer with a local nonprofit. The building that they've rented and worked out of for years was left to them by some rich old lady but her kid got a lawyer and is contesting it. They're being threatened that they'll have to move out or the rent will almost double and no way can they afford to find another place. They'd have to shut down. They need an attorney to fight for them and show that the lady's will was legit. Or at least to just let them know if they have a chance or not. I was hoping you could help. It's a great organization Aubrey, really great."

The blonde pursed her lips. "What kind of nonprofit?"

"It's a kind of halfway house, shelter." The redhead replied. "They take people in, help them get back on their feet. They even help the residents find jobs and secure decent housing. Unfortunately…they wouldn't be able to pay you much. But it's Christmas…ya know, the time to spread good will and all that. Please Aubrey…"

Aubrey sighed at the hopeful look on Chloe's face. One act of kindness surely couldn't hurt. One final act of kindness before the end. Maybe God would have mercy on her. She didn't have anything else to bank on so she nodded. "Fine. But it has to be done as soon as possible…before Christmas for sure or I can't help."

Chloe's face lit up and jumped to her feet in excitement and clasped her hands in front of her. "That is so great Aubrey! Thank you so much!"

Aubrey's heart skipped a beat. She had forgotten how it felt to make Chloe happy. It felt amazing. But now it also made her heart ache unbearably.

"Ok." Chloe said, taking a seat once again and trying to tame her excitement into a more professional demeanor. Aubrey pushed the previous thoughts from her mind and tried to refocus on the woman in front of her. "I'll get all the paperwork and bring it to you so you can look through it. Or I know, there's a coffee shop just down the street from the building! We could meet there and I can give you all the information you need and then if you have any other questions or anything we can just go right to the building and let you talk to Jim, he runs the place. Oh my God, Aubrey, I can't thank you enough! Is tomorrow night after work ok? You're the best!"

Aubrey found herself agreeing without a second thought. She was a glutton for punishment. "Tomorrow will be fine."

xxxx

Aubrey squared her shoulders and stepped into the small coffee shop. A hand waving from the corner booth quickly caught her attention. Chloe was smiling widely as she beckoned her closer. The blonde swallowed thickly and made her way to the booth.

"Hey Aubrey!"

She nodded in response and settled in across from the shorter woman. "Hey Chloe. So…what do you have for me?"

The redhead frowned slightly as Aubrey jumped right into business. But she quickly smiled again, determined not to let the opportunity to reconnect with her best friend slip away. She had thought about Aubrey countless times in the last few years. They were the best of friends once. Chloe was certain that even though the chance to be more was gone now that Aubrey was married, they could be just as close as they once were. She could live with that as long she was in fact back in her life in some capacity. Chloe ached from how badly she had missed the blonde.

Chloe pulled out the paperwork that she had and passed the folder to Aubrey who immediately began to sort through it all.

After nearly a half an hour of Aubrey reading and jotting notes while Chloe watched silently, the blonde leaned back with a sigh. "This all looks pretty straight forward. The witnesses who attested to the will have also provided affidavits. Everything looks to be on the up and up. I think you all have a pretty solid case."

"Oh my god, that is such good news!" Chloe exclaimed. "Jim will be so relieved! Seriously Aubrey, I don't know how to thank you!"

Aubrey shrugged, uncomfortable with the praise.

"You have to come over for dinner, bring your husband!"

The blonde's eyes widened when Chloe's words registered. "I'm sorry what?"

"Yeah," the redhead continued. "I've actually learned to cook a few things without causing a fire and I want to meet your husband. You have to come!"

Aubrey clenched her fists in her lap and shook her head, obviously uncomfortable. "I don't think so."

"Oh Come on!" Chloe exclaimed. "I need to meet the lucky fella. It's just dinner Aubrey. Please?"

"Chloe…I can't…James and I…we're divorcing. It's a done deal actually, signed the papers last week." Aubrey ended softly. She had no idea what made her tell Chloe about her divorce. She had no intention of letting the other woman close, especially not now with so little time left. There was no point. She intended to do her one final good deed, penance of sorts, and fade away with no fuss or attention.

But she had to admit that when Chloe gasped and immediately reached for her hand that Aubrey felt more comforted than she had in all her years of marriage.

"Shit Aubrey!" the redhead cried. "I'm so sorry! I should have known when you barely said two words about him…God I'm so stupid sometimes. Are you ok? _Fuck_ , what a dumb question, you're split from your husband, at _Christmas_ no less. Of course you're not ok! God I'm so sorry!"

Aubrey chuckled at her friend's rambling. She couldn't remember the last time she had genuinely smiled, let alone laughed. "I'm ok. It's for the best."

Chloe squeezed her hand and scooted closer in the booth. "Well now you definitely have to come over. I have wine and you are due for a good vent session. I won't take no for an answer…and you know it."

They sat gazing back at the other for a few moments, both lost in their memories. Aubrey finally sighed and nodded. She tried to convince herself that she was only agreeing to meet Chloe because she did in fact know that the shorter woman wouldn't take no for an answer and it was just easier to agree and get it over with. But she knew it was more than that. She wanted to see Chloe again and spend more time with her. Before it was too late.

xxxx

Aubrey found herself genuinely laughing at stories from Chloe's past, particularly the story of how she had indeed been arrested for disturbing the peace and destruction of property when she organized a protest outside of a laboratory. While she hadn't actually tried to set all the animals free, she had blocked all the doors to the facility and spray painted the words 'puppy killers' and 'mice are people too' on the sides of the building.

"You're so lucky they let you off with only a fine!" Aubrey exclaimed around her laughter.

"Oh don't forget the community service!" Chloe replied with a groan. "I scrubbed that building for days! But I'm proud to say that I got the attention of a few other animal advocacy groups and most of those animals have made it out to happy homes."

Aubrey smiled fondly at her former best friend and shook her head. She glanced around at her friend's apartment. It was small, very small. In fact, Aubrey's office was probably more square footage than the entirety of the tiny apartment Chloe called home. But it was cozy. It had a feeling of home unlike the sterile, modern furnishings and décor of her own place.

As much as she had tried to remain distant and aloof, the redhead just had a way of breaking through all of Aubrey's defenses. There was just something about her. That was why when Chloe turned serious and asked her what had gone wrong in her marriage, Aubrey found hiding the truth was the furthest thing from her mind.

"He cheated." She replied without hesitation. "That was kind of the final straw even though we weren't exactly picture perfect before that. My father introduced us…I suppose that should have been my first red flag."

Chloe reached for the blonde's hand and waited patiently for her to continue.

"I don't even know if we ever loved each other." Aubrey said quietly. "We complimented each other and I liked that my father was pleased with the match. But…I don't think there was ever much more than that. He found someone else and the divorce papers are signed. I probably should have taken more from him but…I just don't care. I make more than enough in my own job that I don't need anything from him. I don't _want_ anything from him, especially money."

"That fucking asshole." Chloe hissed. "I hate cheaters. What a fucking idiot!"

Aubrey smirked and took another sip of her wine. "Of course my father said I hadn't done enough to keep James interested. If I had been performing my wifely duties properly he wouldn't have strayed."

"Bullshit!"

The blonde smiled wryly. Chloe was clearly just as fiercely protective of her friends as she had ever been. "So have you kept in touch with anyone…any of the Bellas?" she asked, suddenly eager to change the subject.

Chloe took a deep breath as if to steady herself and quiet her anger. She nodded then and a genuine smile once again formed. "I do keep in touch with quite a few of them. Beca of course. She and Jesse are still together out in LA. He's landed a few jobs scoring short films and a few TV shows. She's doing really well too. Some kid Emily's record that she produced did pretty well on the charts so things look good for them. Amy was in Idaho last I heard. Ashley is here of course, she said hello by the way. I don't think anyone has heard from Lilly, not surprising."

Aubrey laughed again, her momentary jealousy at the mention of Beca slipping away. "Not surprising at all. She's probably a double agent somewhere. And look at you…teaching music at a boarding school and volunteering at a shelter. You haven't changed a bit…you're still an obscenely good person Chloe Beale."

The redhead met her gaze and a sad look crossed her face. "Not really. I try to be a good person, I want to be. But I'm not really. There's a difference between actually being a genuinely good person and wanting to be one. I don't think genuinely good people have to try so hard to be good. Do you have any idea how much I wanted to break every window in that laboratory and get all the animals out and then burn that fucking place to the ground? What good person wants to commit arson? And what good person lets the most important person in their life just disappear when they need them most? I knew your father pressured you into going to law school. I knew it. And instead of supporting you, I let you walk away and I was too stubborn to come after you."

Aubrey felt a shiver shoot down her spine at the fierce look in Chloe's blue eyes. She swallowed thickly. "I…I didn't give you a choice Chloe. I made my own decisions. You're not responsible for that. You're not responsible for me now. And you can't doubt that you're a good person Chloe…you're genuinely the kindest and best person I've ever met."

Chloe's breath hitched and before her brain could catch up to her heart, she leaned forward and captured Aubrey's lips with her own. The universe seemed to tilt and then right itself once again when their lips touched after so many years apart. She reached and cupped the blonde's cheek as she sighed into the kiss.

Aubrey however found she wasn't able to shut her brain off, as much as she might have wanted to. She broke away from the kiss and turned her head slightly. Chloe sighed again and closed her eyes, her forehead still pressed against Aubrey's temple as she tried to rein in her emotions.

"Chloe."

"I'm not sorry." The redhead replied firmly. "I've wanted to do that since the last time we kissed. Every day since. I've missed you Aubrey and I never should have let you go. We were so good together…we can be again. We can-"

"Chloe, I'm going away." Aubrey whispered, tears stinging her eyes. "I have plans."

The redhead turned her face to press a kiss to the palm that had been lifted to gently stroke her cheek. She reached and took Aubrey's hand in her own and brought her fingers to her lips. Her heart sank when the blonde refused to meet her eye. "When are you leaving?"

Aubrey swallowed thickly around the lump in her throat and released a shaky breath. "Christmas Eve night…that's the plan."

Chloe nodded and pulled back slightly but didn't release Aubrey's hand. "Ok. If anyone deserves a vacation, it's you! But you'll be back right? I'm serious Aubrey…When you come back I'm going to be waiting for you right here. And I want to see you before you go, we still have a few days. Please."

The blonde finally lifted her gaze to meet Chloe's. The redhead gently thumbed away a tear that Aubrey hadn't realized was about to escape. Aubrey blinked against the sudden onslaught of tears and let Chloe pull her into her arms.

"I've missed you." She whispered brokenly.

Chloe tightened her hold on the taller woman and pressed a kiss to her head. Aubrey closed her eyes and willed herself to enjoy the comfort. She couldn't put words to just how much she had missed this kind of contact with the other woman. And now that she had it, it was more bitter than sweet. She had made her choice, made her plans. It was for the best.

"I've missed you too." Chloe murmured, her lips still pressed to the blonde's hair. "I'm so sorry life hasn't been kind to you Aubrey. You seem so sad. But I've never stopped loving you and if you'd let me…I want to try to make you happy again."

Aubrey released a shaky breath, a small sob slipping out as well, and separated herself from the redhead's arms. "I think I should go."

Chloe nodded with a sad smile. "Ok. I know I just kind of sprang all this on you. I'm sorry if I took you by surprise. I totally understand if you need some to think about it."

The blonde nodded, already pushing herself to her feet, once again refusing to meet Chloe's eye. She stumbled almost blindly for where her coat was draped over an armchair. She was shrugging it on when Chloe finally spoke again.

"Please Aubrey. I promise I won't put any pressure on you and I shouldn't have come on so strong what with you fresh off a divorce and all but…you know how I get carried away. Please, can I see you again before you leave? I promise I'll behave."

Aubrey turned and finally locked eyes with the redhead standing a few feet away from her. She should just cut her losses and go. She shouldn't let Chloe get any more attached than she already was. She had no desire to hurt the other woman. But if anyone had asked her how she wanted to live out her final days, she would always without a doubt, reply 'with Chloe'. So she nodded before silently turning on her heel and quickly retreating toward the exit.

The door closed between the two women, leaving one smiling with hope and the other fighting tears.


	3. Chapter 3

It's Comin' on Christmas

A/N - Thanks for reading! Only one chapter left.

Chapter 3

Chloe's eyes widened almost comically as she stepped further into Aubrey's luxurious apartment.

"I don't think the doorman wanted to let me in." she said, dumbstruck as she glanced around her surroundings. "I think he thought I'm a burglar. Aubrey…this place is gorgeous. I'm a little afraid to touch anything."

"Oh don't worry." Aubrey replied with a dismissive wave. "The property has already been settled. Feel free to break anything you like."

Chloe still timidly surveyed her surroundings after the blonde had taken her coat. "You live here? I bet my whole apartment could fit in your guest bathroom."

"Probably." Aubrey replied with a slight smirk.

Chloe rolled her eyes and chuckled. She took an offered glass of wine after following Aubrey to the spacious kitchen, complete with granite countertops and high end appliances. Whatever the blonde was cooking them for dinner smelled delicious.

"So…should we trash the place? Does James still have stuff here that we can cut up throw out the window?"

Aubrey shrugged. "James hasn't even stepped foot in here for nearly a year. Everything here is mine. I got this place, along with a $750,000 cash settlement, and he got the penthouse across town that he's been living in with the new woman. You're still welcome to trash the place if you like though. In fact, you'll make Silas the doorman's day if you prove him right about you. I think he gets bored."

Chloe chuckled at the blonde's smirk. The sight of Aubrey relaxed and joking was enough for the redhead to let any disparaging comment about James die on her lips. She glanced around again until her gaze settled on a calendar on the refrigerator. She smiled and bit her bottom lip at the sight of the days crossed off in red.

"Counting down to Christmas…or to your vacation?"

Aubrey startled and snapped her eyes to the refrigerator. She exhaled a shaky breath, hopefully without the redhead's notice. "Something like that. So when are you heading home for Christmas?"

If Chloe realized the obvious shift in topic she didn't mention it. Instead, a sad look flashed over her face and she took another sip of her wine. "Oh I'm not. I haven't been working long enough to really save up and flights to Florida are crazy expensive. So I'm just going to go home in a few months and spend Christmas here. My first Christmas in the city! Ashley and I are going to have a sort of beggars Christmas, it'll be great!"

"Chloe," Aubrey replied softly, "I could buy you a plane ticket home…I'd be happy to."

The redhead smiled and stepped closer to where Aubrey was checking the dinner on the stove, attempting to appear nonchalant. "That's really sweet of you." She replied, still smiling tenderly. "But I'm ok staying here. Some of the kids will be here through the holidays and like I said, Ashley can't go home either. Plus…you're here until Christmas Eve night so…this is where I want to be."

Aubrey clenched her jaw and refused to meet Chloe's gaze. "Well, if you change your mind."

"Bree," Chloe said patiently, smiling wider when the blonde finally glanced up in surprise at hearing her old nickname, "I'm not going to change my mind. I meant what I said…now that I've found you, I'm not about to let you get away again. I promised to behave, but I can still make my intentions clear."

The blonde grimaced and once again dropped her gaze. "You say that now…but a lot has changed… _I've_ changed! I'm not a good person Chloe, you don't know what I've done."

"Then tell me." Chloe replied, unfazed. "You don't scare me Aubrey Posen Phillips. You're a good person. And I plan to keep reminding you of it."

The blonde clenched her jaw and squared her shoulders as she stood to her full height, finally turning to face Chloe. She wasn't certain whether she wanted to intimidate the redhead or simply appear strong in her own right. But she eyed the other woman almost coldly just the same.

"I helped negotiate a settlement in favor of a pharmaceutical company that knew of the risks and side effects of a certain drug that would make billions of dollars for them. They had to pay out a fraction of a percentage of their profits but the victims were irreparably harmed and no amount of money could ever come close to making them whole again. And I helped a company acquire a building for practically nothing that used to be a retirement community. The people living there were forced out with no place to go. I did that. And not because of my father. I did it because I could, because it proved I was a good attorney. And that's just the beginning Chloe. I'm a damn good attorney and people, good people, have suffered because of it."

Chloe had paled slightly but she too stood her ground. "Are you sorry for it? Do you regret it?"

Aubrey wanted to deny it. She wanted to say that she didn't regret a single thing that she had done but she knew there was no way on earth that she could possibly even pretend that she was living with no regrets. It seemed regrets were all she had left. Her family had finally, officially disowned her once they learned of her split from James. Chloe had gone. Her marriage had failed. She had done terrible things in the course of the duties of her career that weren't necessary. All she had left were regrets. That was why she had made the decision that she had. On Christmas Eve night, she would jump from the bridge that crossed the river in the park near her apartment. It was one of her favorite spots. It was where she wanted to die and finally be at peace.

She felt her bottom lip quivering as she tried to convince Chloe that she in fact had no regrets. But even if she had voiced it, the redhead wouldn't have believed her. She knew her too well. She was the only one who did. And so, Aubrey nodded.

Chloe's lips curved into a sympathetic smile. She stepped closer and took Aubrey's hands in her own. "Then you volunteer. You donate that crazy smart brain of yours to help people. We can even do it together if you want. You're not past saving Aubrey. No one is but especially not you."

They stood, their gazes locked. Aubrey didn't second guess herself, didn't give herself time to reconsider. She simply closed the distance between them and dipped her head to press her lips to Chloe's. She snaked an arm around the redhead's slight frame and pulled her flush against her own body.

Chloe moaned into the kiss and clutched at Aubrey's back, desperate to get closer to the taller woman. She fisted the blonde's shirt in her hands and pressed herself as close to Aubrey as she could get. But when the blonde stepped back and began to steer her out of the kitchen she didn't protest.

Aubrey took her hand and pulled the shorter woman behind her until they came to a stop in her bedroom. The open windows held a view of the vast city skyline. But Chloe barely spared it a second glance as she once again stared up into the gray green eyes that were gazing back at her with unwavering intensity.

"Chloe…"

"Shhh." The redhead replied in a hushed voice.

She pressed her fingers to Aubrey's lips, silencing her. As she slid her fingers down from the blonde's mouth, she let them trail over her chin and lightly scratched at the taller woman's neck before fisting the collar of her shirt and once again pulling the other woman closer.

With one fist still clenching Aubrey's shirt and the other snaking up her neck to cup the blonde's jaw, Chloe tilted Aubrey's face downward to meet her own. "I love you." She whispered, just as their lips ghosted against each other in the dark.

Aubrey wrapped her arms around Chloe's waist once again, never breaking the kiss. "I love you too. I always will…Please don't ever forget that, no matter what happens."

She felt Chloe smile against her lips as the shorter woman gently pulled her back toward the huge bed.

xxxx

Aubrey blinked her eyes open and sighed. The arm flung across her waist flexed and pulled her tighter against the body spooned behind her. Aubrey bit her bottom lip and let her mind wander back to the previous night.

Their breathy moans and pants had faded away until the only sound that remained was the soft rhythm of their heartbeats. Aubrey had laid awake long after Chloe's breathing had evened out into that of sound sleep. She had blinked away tears and clutched the redhead tighter as the night wore on until she too finally drifted off.

Aubrey had told herself she wouldn't let anything happen with Chloe. She knew it wasn't fair to the other woman to allow her to get close only to disappear again, this time for good. But Aubrey hadn't been able to resist herself. As selfish as it was, she was desperate for one brief bit of happiness before her life ended. And she did know that it was selfish.

The blonde shifted, rolling onto her back. Chloe mumbled in her sleep but didn't wake. Instead, she draped herself over Aubrey, wrapping her arms around her tightly.

Aubrey too draped her arm across Chloe's bare shoulders and lightly ran her fingers through long red locks. A short time later, Chloe sighed and squeezed Aubrey, her head resting just under the blonde's chin.

"Good morning." She said in a sleepy whisper.

Aubrey smiled somewhat sadly and gently scratched at Chloe's scalp. "Good morning."

The redhead turned her face to glance up at the woman in her arms. "Did you sleep ok?"

"I did." Aubrey responded quietly, still lightly toying with Chloe's hair. "You?"

Chloe nodded with a smile and once again dropped her head to Aubrey's chest, the soft thump of her heartbeat sounding in her ear. "Better than I have in years…I'm so glad that I found you again."

When Aubrey didn't respond, Chloe fought to keep the frown from her face. She had hoped this would be a new beginning for the pair. But she couldn't help but feel that instead of bringing them closer together, their night had only served to push them further apart.

"Aubrey?"

"Yeah?" The blonde replied, swallowing against the lump in her throat.

Chloe once again squeezed the woman in her arms, afraid to lift her head to meet her gaze. "Are you ok? The divorce couldn't have been easy on you and I just came rushing in…I didn't mean to pressure you or…you know how I am, boundaries and all that. But I would never want to push you into something. I just thought…I just assumed that you felt the same way I do. If you don't…I get it. And I'll stop pressuring. I really do just want you to be ok and happy, even if I'm not the one who can make you happy."

"Chloe…you've pretty much been the only person who could ever make me happy." Aubrey replied. "You were the first person to ever make me feel loved. And you stuck with me even when I was…a mess. The only time I've ever felt loved was with you."

Chloe lifted her head then and turned to gaze at the blonde beneath her, her own brow furrowed. Aubrey continued before the shorter woman could utter a sound.

"That's…too much pressure on you, it wasn't fair."

"Aubrey…you make it sound like you were a burden to me or something. But the truth is…I didn't know what it was to love until I met you. You were there for me too. I like to think we were a perfect complement to each other, neither of us complete without the other. That's what love is supposed to be really. Just two flawed people, choosing to love each other, flaws and all."

Tears stung Aubrey's eyes as she glanced anywhere but at the redhead eyeing her lovingly. She finally forced a watery smile to her face. "I want to show you something…will you go somewhere with me?"

"Of course I will." Chloe replied softly. "Anywhere."

xxxx

Aubrey squeezed Chloe's hand that was clutched in her own. She came to a stop on the stone bridge that crossed the river in the park near her apartment. It was her favorite spot. She often walked here alone, never bringing anyone with her, never feeling she had anyone to share it with.

She leaned and braced herself on the stone railing and gazed down into the river below them. "This is my favorite place in the city."

Chloe moved to stand next to her and mirrored her position, rested her arms on the waist high stone railing. She gazed out at the area, smiling softly at her peaceful surroundings. "It's beautiful."

Aubrey's lips quirked into a smile and she nodded, still gazing out across the river. "I wanted you to see it, because I love it." She turned and stared deeply into Chloe's clear blue eyes. "If something were to ever happen…this place is here and I love it. And I just wanted you to see it."

Chloe quirked a brow, knowing the blonde was trying to tell her something but unsure of what. So she simply smiled sweetly and stepped closer to the woman she loved. "Thank you for sharing this place with me. Will you come someplace with me now?"

Aubrey felt her heart clench painfully at the love so plainly reflected back at her from Chloe's mesmerizing blue eyes. She nodded, finding herself unable to deny the redhead anything, much like their previous days together back at Barden. The blonde would have done anything to see a smile grace the shorter woman's beautiful features, even relinquish control of the Bellas to a certain petite brunette, even if it had taken some extreme measures including an all out brawl in the practice space. She only wished she'd had the nerve to trust in their love and not buckle to her father's never ending pressure.

Aubrey nodded and took Chloe's hand in her own. "Sure. Where to?"

Chloe's smile simply widened and Aubrey felt her insides turn to mush.

xxxx

Aubrey couldn't keep the grin from her face as the handful of grade school children singing off key bellowed from their positions where Chloe was directing them in practicing their Christmas program songs.

The kids were watching Chloe's every move and direction, eager to please the redhead. Aubrey let her gaze settle on Chloe, a sudden rush of warmth spreading throughout her body as she watched the other woman smiling as she mouthed the words along with the kids with exaggerated hand motions to encourage them.

Thoughts of a life that could be flashed in Aubrey's mind. Decorating Christmas trees together, limbs tangled in sheets, panting to catch their breath, a blonde or redhead child being tucked into bed with a toothless grin. A white picket fence.

"I don't think I've seen Chloe this happy since your senior year at Barden." Ashley said softly, dropping into the plastic chair next to Aubrey with a soft smile. "I'm really glad you two ran into each other."

Aubrey finally wrenched her gaze away from Chloe and the kids to glance at the brunette next to her. She had always liked Ashley, even if the other woman had never been very outgoing. But she had her to thank for bringing Chloe back into her life, if even only briefly. She smiled at the other woman next to her.

"I've never loved anyone but her." _Not even myself_.

Ashely grinned and nodded. "We all kind of had a hunch back then…I mean, she did get the best solo in Eternal Flame."

Aubrey choked a broken laugh and dropped her head. "It was that obvious?"

"Of course."

The blonde laughed, hoping to conceal the quiver to her bottom lip. "You two are close yeah?" At the other woman's nod, Aubrey clenched her jaw and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and also nodded. "Good. Look out for her…make sure she's ok. Just in case I can't for some reason I mean. I just…I'm just glad she has you."

Ashley narrowed her gaze and stared intently at the older woman.

"Ok, great job you guys!" Chloe exclaimed, drawing both Aubrey and Ashley's attention back to the front of the room.

Ashley let her comments drop at the sight of the kids scattering from the stage to flank Chloe with hugs before moving on to her as well. When she glanced up from the hug one of the kids had thrown on her, she caught Aubrey and Chloe staring at each other, soft smiles on their faces. Any previous concerns quickly faded away at the love she saw so plainly reflecting from both of them.

xxxx

Aubrey's eyes fluttered open the following morning and a moan immediately slipped from her lips as Chloe kissed a slow and steady trail down the column of her neck. She gasped when the redhead nipped at her collarbone playfully.

"Good morning." Chloe hummed, lips still pressed to the taller woman's skin.

Aubrey smiled in spite of herself. Chloe's bare skin pressed against her own with the redhead holding her tightly and peppering kisses along her neck and shoulders were enough to force any morose thoughts from her mind momentarily.

"Good morning." She replied, burying one hand in Chloe's tousled curls.

She felt Chloe smile against her skin. "I could get used to waking up like this." The redhead mumbled.

Aubrey smiled again. "This is pretty nice, I have to admit. I'd forgotten how warm you keep my feet. You're like my very own heater!"

Chloe giggled and poked the thin woman in the side before lifting her head to gaze back at the blonde. "Merry Christmas Eve."

"It is Christmas Eve isn't it?" Aubrey asked softly, her smile slipping. "I'm leaving tonight."

"I know." The redhead replied with a pout. "Do you really have to go? We could cuddle all night and drink eggnog and then…keep each other awake while we wait for Santa…"

Aubrey's heart clenched at the devilish smirk on Chloe's lips. The redhead eyed her curiously at her lack of response. Chloe couldn't help but feel like she was missing something, that something just wasn't quite right.

"Where are you going anyway?" she asked.

"Oh um…" the blonde sputtered, realizing she clearly hadn't put enough thought into what she would tell Chloe. She chided herself mentally for getting so caught up in Chloe that she let that detail slip. She was growing careless. But she did have to admit that the plan to kill herself had not been as present on her mind now that the redhead had reappeared in her life. "I just have to get away…"

Chloe quirked a brow and eyed her as if she was trying to determine if she was telling the truth. "Aubrey…are you ok? I mean, I know it's been a rough few years and you should definitely take some time for yourself but…seriously, are you ok?"

And suddenly, Aubrey wanted to tell Chloe everything. About how she had decided not to leave a suicide note because no one would be there to read it. About how if she were honest with herself, she had to admit that she had actually given up on life years ago. About how she was certain that no one would miss her…no one but Chloe that is. But also about how for the past few days she was having second thoughts. But for some reason she couldn't. She had made her plans and Posens stuck to their plans.

"I'm ok." Is all that came out instead.

Chloe narrowed her gaze at the taller woman and sighed. In all her years of knowing Aubrey, she knew it was best to let the blonde open up when she was ready. They had been apart for so long, Chloe could understand it would take time to get back to where they were and she would simply have to be patient and wait for Aubrey to be comfortable enough to open up to her.

She nodded and once again dropped her head to Aubrey's shoulder. "Well…I just want you to know that I'll be right here waiting for you…so I hope you don't keep me waiting too long."


	4. Chapter 4

It's Comin' on Christmas

A/N – Here it is, last chapter. Thanks so much for sticking around and reading. And to you all that took the time to review, you're the best! I forgot the usual disclaimer, that I don't own anything you recognize. Also, the new character that turns up and the conversation comes from a movie called "Into Temptation" with Kristen Chenoweth. Thanks again!

Chapter 4

Chloe shuffled into her own apartment, her mood low even though it was Christmas Eve. Aubrey had finally told her that she had to get ready for her trip and so the redhead had reluctantly slipped from the blonde's spacious apartment. Aubrey had tears in her eyes when she hugged Chloe tightly, which made the other woman even more reluctant to leave.

For some reason, Chloe couldn't help but shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. She was missing something, she was sure of it.

Her shoulders were slumped as she stepped up to the mailbox in her building. She gathered the pile of letters from her box as she continued on to her apartment door, barely registering the titles and cards in her hand.

Until she spotted an envelope from the airline company. With a quirked brow, Chloe ripped into the envelope. Her eyes widened and her breath caught at the sight of one first class airline ticket home to Florida for Christmas. It departed in a few hours so she could just make it if she rushed.

There was also a note included and she quickly ripped it open.

" _Chloe, you've made me happier than I have been in years. I'm so thankful I got to see you again. Please, don't ever think lightly of how happy you've made me these last few days. It has made our parting all the harder. You're everything that is good in this world Chloe Beale, don't ever change. Love always, Aubrey Posen."_

The redhead frowned as she read the message. It read too much like a goodbye for Chloe to be comfortable with it.

Her phone chirping finally pulled her from her thoughts. She fished the phone from her bag and when she saw Jim's face flashing on the caller ID, she quickly swiped and answered the call, curious as to why the man who ran the shelter she volunteered at would be calling her on Christmas Eve.

"Chloe, it's Jim, you'll never believe it!"

"What?" Chloe returned in confusion. "What's going on Jim? Won't believe what?"

"An anonymous donor!" The man exclaimed. "Someone just gave us $750,000. Do you have any idea how many people we can help with that money?"

Jim continued to chatter excitedly but Chloe felt a sinking feeling her gut. Aubrey was supposed to receive $750,000 in her divorce settlement. It couldn't be just a coincidence that the shelter was receiving exactly that amount. The blonde's cryptic statements suddenly took on a whole new meaning.

She thought back over all their conversations and the nagging feeling that she had been missing something suddenly clicked into place. Chloe staggered and reached to brace herself against the counter in her kitchen as she quickly put the puzzle pieces together in her mind. She released a strangled cry and clasped a hand over her mouth.

"Oh God, no. No, no, no."

Chloe turned on her heel and immediately rushed from her apartment to the only spot she could think of. The bridge Aubrey had told her she loved so dearly.

xxxx

Aubrey sighed deeply from her spot on the bridge. She leaned forward against the stone ledge and turned her gaze toward the water below her. The water was reflecting back the soft glow of the moon and the streetlights from above. It was eerily calm, especially for what she was there for. It seemed almost anticlimactic, to have such a calm and peaceful ending to a life that had been filled with so much unwanted stress and tension.

Aubrey blinked rapidly against the tears she felt stinging her eyes. Not for the first time, she couldn't help but wonder what Chloe would think when she realized the truth. Aubrey felt her heart clench painfully at the thought of hurting the redhead. And she knew her death would in fact hurt Chloe. As much as Aubrey might try to convince herself that the redhead only thought she loved her, the blonde knew it was much more than that. For some reason, Chloe had chosen her.

Chloe had once again waltzed into her life and tried to force the blonde into thinking that she should expect to be treated with love and kindness. Only Chloe had ever made her question the lack of such love and kindness in her life.

She clenched her jaw, a frown furrowing her brow. She had been perfectly content to come to the end of her days until Chloe had turned up. The redhead had completely disrupted her plans.

"Hey…can you spare a buck?"

Aubrey snapped her gaze away from the peaceful water below her to the voice sounding behind her. A man stood, eyeing her with a lopsided grin. He was clearly homeless from his mismatched outfit and dirty appearance.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Aubrey replied.

"I said, can you spare a buck?" He returned, taking a step closer.

"You need a buck." Aubrey mumbled, almost incredulously.

"If you can spare it." The man replied, the crooked grin still plastered firmly on his face.

Aubrey quickly patted her pockets and frowned. She didn't even have her purse with her. She hadn't planned on crossing paths with anyone. "Shit…I'm sorry, I gave it all away." She muttered sadly.

"You did?" The man replied, still with his crooked grin in place. "That's ok."

Aubrey met the man's gaze with a sorrowful frown. Once again she had proven to be ineffective at comforting her fellow man. The man shivered once as he turned away from her to continue on his way.

"Wait!"

The man turned and eyed her expectantly. Aubrey stepped closer to him with a watery smile. "Here, take this. Maybe it'll help you keep warm."

She pulled the green scarf from around her neck and with a tender smile, closed the distance between the two of them and looped the material around his neck. "Merry Christmas."

The man's face split into a wide grin and he clutched the ends of the scarf in his hands. "Hey, thanks! You're a nice lady. Merry Christmas!"

Aubrey once again blinked away tears as the simple man wandered away, still clutching the ends of her green scarf in his hands. She turned and stepped back to the ledge to gaze over the stone railing into the water below her. A smile pulled at her lips at the thought of the homeless man she had just encountered. He seemed perfectly happy and she hadn't been able to give him a single dollar. But she had connected with him just the same.

She sighed as she once again leaned against the railing and gazed down at the water below her. Chloe once again popped into her mind. The redhead's smiling face was all she could see.

"What am I doing?" Aubrey whispered, the smile slipping from her face. "I'm wasting my time."

She cast one final glance heavenward as a soft smile again tugged at her lips. She finally felt at peace with her decision. She was ready to move on.

xxxx

Chloe frantically raced toward the bridge, ignoring the looks from the people she passed. Having only been to that park the one time with Aubrey, she was having trouble remembering exactly how to get to the bridge. Chloe came to a stop once she reached the park and prayed for some sight of the blonde. She saw a man shuffling down the sidewalk and ran toward him. When she approached, he smiled.

"Hi there, can you spare a buck?"

"Have you seen this woman?" Chloe cried, quickly flashing a picture of Aubrey on her phone.

The homeless man smiled widely and nodded. "Sure have. She gave me this scarf! Nice lady, pretty too."

"Oh God, where?" Chloe exclaimed. "How long ago?"

"She's just up on the bridge." He replied pointing over his shoulder. "I asked her for a buck but she said she'd given all her money away and so she gave me this scarf instead."

Chloe barely heard the man as she sprinted past him, desperate to reach the blonde. "Thank you!"

She ran until she broke through the trees and came to a stop on the very bridge she was looking for. It was empty. "No!" Chloe wailed, rushing to the bridge railing. "Aubrey!"

The redhead hoisted herself up onto the stone railing and gazed down into the murky water, half expecting to see Aubrey floating face down. She couldn't see anything other than the soft light of the moon and street lights reflecting back.

Chloe leaned further out over the ledge trying to get a view of the area under the bridge itself. She squinted and braced herself on one arm as she dangled over the side. She strained to lean just a bit further but when the leg bracing her kicked out from underneath her on the slick stone, Chloe's arm buckled under the sudden weight and her eyes widened as she tipped forward.

She barely had time to cry out before two arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her back onto solid ground.

"Jesus Christ Chloe, you could have died! What the hell were you thinking? Are you ok?"

Chloe was trembling as Aubrey grabbed her by the shoulders and tried to steady the shorter woman. The redhead blinked rapidly as she tried to gain her bearings and finally gazed up at the worried blonde.

"Aubrey?" She muttered. "I thought…I thought you'd…you're ok!"

Chloe launched herself at Aubrey then, wrapping her in a bone crushing hug. Aubrey squeezed her back as tightly as she could manage and breathed a sigh of relief, the tension finally draining from her body since hearing Chloe desperately yelling her name and then seeing the shorter woman dangling from the side of the bridge.

"Chloe what are you doing out here?"

The redhead pulled back but didn't release the other woman, afraid to let her out of her arms. "I was looking for you! I thought you were going to jump, that you were going to kill yourself. God, Aubrey, why are you here? What is going on? Please tell me I was wrong, that you weren't actually going to jump. Please."

The blonde cringed. "Well…that was the plan. But I changed my mind!"

"Aubrey!" Chloe wailed, once again throwing her arms around the taller woman.

"It's ok!" Aubrey cried. "Chloe it's ok, _I'm_ ok! I changed my mind, I swear!"

Chloe pulled away again and Aubrey's heart clenched at the sight of tears streaming from her blue eyes. "Damn you Aubrey Posen! What were you thinking? I'm so mad at you right now! But God, I'm so glad you're ok. Why would you even…What the hell Aubrey! Please, please tell me what's going on!"

The blonde nodded and lifted her hand to gently brush away the tears still leaking from Chloe's eyes. "You saved me." Aubrey said simply.

"What?" Chloe whispered brokenly. "I don't understand. Aubrey-"

"I wanted to die." Aubrey continued, squeezing the other woman's arms when she choked out another sob. "That was my plan, to jump off of the bridge and put an end to my miserable, lonely life. But then you showed up. And damn you…you had the nerve to make me think I could possibly be happy again, that maybe life could be good again. And even better that maybe I deserved for it to be! But I had made all these plans, cancelled everything, the paper, the cable, my phone. I even gave away a shit load of money and rewrote my will to leave everything else to local charities, your boarding school's scholarship program and the shelter included. But when I got here tonight…as shitty as I've felt the last few years…I felt even worse at the thought of leaving you, of hurting you. So you see? You made me want to live again. You saved me."

"Aubrey-"

"I know." The blonde interrupted again. "It's pretty fucked up- _I'm_ pretty fucked up. And I'm so sorry…I never wanted to hurt you. I have a lot of work to do but I want to do it! It isn't enough that _you_ kept me from jumping…I have to keep myself from jumping. And I want to…thanks to you."

A few stray tears continued to trail down Chloe's cheeks as she stared up into gray green eyes that made her knees weak. "I love you." She finally whispered. "I love you Aubrey and you scared the shit out of me."

Aubrey grinned sheepishly. "I love you too."

"You know we have a lot to talk about right?" Chloe asked softly. "You planned to commit suicide…you took active steps to carry it out. That's…heavy. We can't ignore that. I _won't_ ignore that because I don't want to be without you Aubrey and I have to make sure you're ok."

The blonde nodded and pulled Chloe flush against her once again. "I know. I'm so sorry Chloe. I think I have quite a few therapy sessions ahead of me…but I promise, I'm kind of looking forward to a long, quiet life…as long as it's with you. But I totally understand if I've freaked you out and you need some space. I can work with that. But I'm telling you right now, I'm going to get my head on straight and then I'm going to fight to get you back."

Chloe choked out a laugh and nodded against Aubrey's shoulder. "I am freaked out. But mostly because I thought I'd lost you. Now can we please go someplace warm…someplace inside and off this bridge?"

Aubrey squeezed the woman in her arms as her voice wobbled. "Can we go back to your place? It's so much cozier than mine."

"Yeah." The redhead replied, finally stepping out of Aubrey's embrace. She laced their fingers together and finally smiled, albeit a wobbly one. "Let's go."

"Hey," Aubrey said, pulling the other woman to a stop after they had walked out of the park, mostly in thoughtful silence. "I have an idea. What do you say we see if we can't trade in your one plane ticket for two? We might even be able to still get a flight out tonight!"

Chloe's face split into a wide smile and she stepped closer to the blonde. "I love that idea. But…what do you say we trade it in for two tickets to go to Florida for New Years instead? I'd hate to ditch Ashley and our dinner plans, which you're now joining I hope. Plus…I honestly just want a nice quiet Christmas with you...I'm exhausted. What do you say? Want to cuddle on my couch and watch cheesy Christmas movies with me?"

"I'd love to." Aubrey whispered with a smile. "Merry Christmas Chloe. I…I'm happy. I really am happy."

"Merry Christmas Bree."

"Also, remind me to call on the 26th to turn my cell phone back on."

Chloe groaned but rolled her eyes at Aubrey's smirk. "Yeah, you're definitely gonna need that to call and make an appointment with a shrink."

Aubrey laughed and nodded. "Fair enough."

They stood gazing lovingly at each other in the soft glow of the Christmas lights and the world around them seemed to slow and stop.

"We're being almost as corny as the ending of one of those Christmas movies we're about to go watch." Chloe said with a chuckle. "All we need is for it to start snowing or to realize we're standing under mistletoe."

"We don't need mistletoe." The blonde replied with a cheeky grin. She stepped closer to the shorter woman and then closed the distance to bring their lips together. Chloe sighed contentedly into the kiss.

"Hey you found her!" A voice called behind them. "Thanks again for the scarf. Glad you found your person!"

Chloe and Aubrey both smiled and waved to the man in Aubrey's green scarf as he continued on his way.

"I'm glad you found her too." Aubrey whispered, finally tearing her gaze from the man's retreating form and smiling softly at the woman snuggled tightly into her side.

Chloe grinned and burrowed deeper into the blonde's embrace. "Me too. Come on, let's go home."

xxxx

Epilogue – The first Friday evening in December, one year later

Aubrey stood on the bridge, gazing out at the snowy scene in front of her. She tightened her grip on the cup of hot cocoa she had bought from a street vender, the hot liquid warming her hands even through her gloves. She took a sip and sighed in contentment.

The park was lit with Christmas lights and unlike the year before, soft snow was blanketing the ground instead of a cold rain falling.

"Ya know, I still feel a little sick to my stomach when I see you leaning on the railing like that."

The blonde smiled and turned to where Chloe was approaching, her hands buried in the pockets of her winter coat. Her red hair was loose but she wore a white knit cap on her head, her eyes sparkling.

Aubrey quirked a brow and shook her head. "I'm not the one who almost ended up in the river if you recall."

"Ha-ha." Chloe replied, rolling her eyes with a chuckle. She burrowed into Aubrey's side as the taller woman wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pressed a kiss to her head in greeting. "How was Dr. Peterson? Good session today?"

"Yep." Aubrey responded, smirking as the redhead took the steaming cup from her hand and took a sip before handing it back. "He says I may not even have to come back after the first of the year unless I don't feel ready quit entirely. But that it's a good idea to keep seeing him through the Holidays because…well you know."

Chloe nodded thoughtfully. "Good. And you're ok?" The blonde nodded with a smile but Chloe continued before she could make a sound. "And you'd talk to me if you weren't? Or at least tell me that you're not and then talk to _someone_?"

Aubrey's smile widened and she nodded again. "I promise. And I'm better than ok. I promise."

Chloe finally smiled and once again reached for her girlfriend's hot cocoa. Nearly a year had passed. Aubrey had been seeing Dr. Peterson, a therapist near her office, once a week every Friday. Chloe had even attended a few sessions to help deal with her own feelings of anger toward the blonde and accompanying guilt for those feelings of anger. It had been an interesting year.

Aubrey had sold her apartment and the two moved into a more reasonably sized place for the two of them. The blonde remained in her position at the law firm but had taken on a number of pro bono cases, penance of sorts. Chloe was still loving her job at the boarding school and together, the two were happily making a life together.

"Are you ready to go find a tree?" Aubrey asked, nudging the woman next to her gently.

Chloe smiled widely and clasped her hands together. "Yes! Oh my God, this is going to be so great! I want the biggest tree we can find!"

Aubrey rolled her eyes but allowed the redhead to grab her by the hand and pull her away excitedly from the bridge where they had agreed to meet before going shopping together for the perfect Christmas tree.

"We may need two trees for all the ornaments and decorations you've already bought." The blonde said with a smirk.

"Bree, you're a genius!" Chloe exclaimed, her eyes lighting up at the possibility of decorating multiple trees. "We can do one ourselves and save the other to decorate when Beca gets into town next weekend!"

"Do alt girls even like Christmas?" Aubrey asked, still smirking. "She may hate decorating and that holiday stuff…which of course means we have to do it, if for no other reason to make Beca squirm."

Chloe chuckled and looped her arm through the taller woman's as they walked. "Oh sure, she'll be fine. Everyone loves Christmas…well, except for people who don't celebrate Christmas I guess…we'll just make sure we have plenty of booze to be on the safe side."

The blonde laughed and squeezed Chloe's arm, effectively pulled the redhead even closer to her as they approached the Christmas tree lot. "So who is this woman that she's bringing with her? What exactly do we know about her?"

Chloe's smile widened, both from the close proximity to Aubrey, and at the mention of her best friend's new love. "Well, she's German. Apparently they met at some fancy party. Beca was there with some other music bigwigs and was introduced to this woman. She's the lead singer of some German world class acapella group. And apparently, she makes you look about as aggressive as Jessica was in the Bellas. She's a total boss."

Aubrey snorted out a laugh. "Oh God, I can't wait to meet this woman. I can't picture Beca taking getting ordered around lying down."

"From what she's said, they do a hell of a lot of 'lying down'." Chloe replied with a smirk.

" _Gross_." The blonde moaned with a pained look. "Remind me to buy new sheets for the guest room."

Chloe laughed and bumped the taller woman's hip with her own. "No doubt they'll try to outdo us in the bedroom, honeymoon phase and all."

Aubrey lifted her chin and squared her shoulders, her competitive spirit blossoming. "They can try. But if you recall…I hate to lose and I'll be damned if I let Beca Mitchell outdo me at anything ever again."

Chloe's face split into a devilish grin. "I was hoping you'd say that…I'm looking forward to the competition."

The blonde narrowed her gaze and smirked at her girlfriend. She pulled Chloe flush against her, the redhead squeaking softly in surprise. She pressed their lips together and they melted into each other. Aubrey hummed in contentment and when they pulled apart, Chloe blinked, slightly dazed.

"God, you're good at that." Chloe mumbled.

Aubrey smiled widely and pressed her lips to the redhead's temple. "Hurry up and pick a tree or two so we can get home and…practice for next weekend."

Chloe felt a shiver of heat slice through her at the blonde's husky tone. "Yeah, yep that one is perfect." She said, barely giving the trees a glance. "Those two right there, let's go."

Aubrey chuckled and quickly paid for the trees, sternly ordering that they not be delivered until the following morning.

The End

A/N – It just wouldn't be Christmas without a cheesy ending. Plus I'm just a sucker for a happy ending. Happy Holidays folks and thanks for reading!


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